Jonah From Riches To Rags
by Dr Thimmel
Summary: A mysterious and "accidental" stow-away is onboard and trapped, Archer must first find out who he is; then the hard part - what to do with him!


-- "Loading Docks; San Jose, Ca. April 1st, 2154, 9:11 p.m." A gentle rain falls on a weary, cold, and tortured homeless man. He wanders the docks he occasionally works on for food, etc., looking for a dry, sheltered place to lay his backpack filled with his meager possessions, and his tall, thin, bearded, and slightly dirty body down for the night. The rain is not so gentle to him, and his clothes are soaked through to his goose-pimpled skin. He sees a gated, cargo staging area, covered with an invisible Deflector-grid roof structure. The cargo containers are neatly grouped into small, checkerboard arrangements, inside square grids painted on the ground, under the huge, skeleton roof fitted with Deflector emitters. He nears the gate, and finds it was left unlocked. He shivers from the cold, and the fear of the Deflector grid covering his prospective hiding/sleeping place. He is, and not without good reason, extremely Techno-phobic! He looks up at the raindrops dancing on the invisible Deflector shield in random patterns of bluish lights; that both protects him from the drizzle as well as terrifies him! He walks through the neatly grouped and stacked cargo containers toward the middle of the area, drops his backpack gingerly down, and opens it; pulling out his simple bedding, and some dry clothes. As he changes his garments he reflects back on his miserable day; looking for work to earn enough to eat. He ended up having to "panhandle" (beg) from the union dock workers that mocked and despise him. "_Get a REAL job, you lazy, good-for-nothin' bum_!" they taunted him; before one of them took pity on him, and allowed the transfer of "credits", via his old, out-dated "palm-top" computer. "It" is the one of the few "Technologies" he will trust, or can tolerate, being that he has control over it, instead of the other way around! This has been the case for the later part of his long, once sweet, but now sour life. "_At least I could eat, today_," he thinks, as he lays his tired, worried head down, and looks up and through the invisible "monster" that covers him, above. Just as he is drifting off to an uneasy sleep, he thinks about the stars he can see through it and the break in the rain clouds, and wonders which star his wife, the son he hasn't seen in many years, and his "life" went to?! As the veil of unconsciousness overwhelms him, he concludes: "_Everything in MY life has gone to Hell_!" and then he uneasily drifts asleep . . .

-- Onboard Enterprise; Dr. Phlox asks the Transporter Technician about his shipment of fish, as T'Pol walks up to the pair. The Technician shakes his head, and says,

"I can't Transport your fish up, until I get T'Pol's science equipment unloaded from the Transporter Pad, Doctor." T'Pol steps up, and says,

"What is the delay, Ensign?" The Technician starts to say,

"I need someone to unload this..." but Dr. Phlox interrupts saying,

"I need those fish!" T'Pol raises her eyebrow at Phlox's emotionality, and says,

"I believe I may be able to solve this difficulty. Ensign; unload the platform, and deliver the container to my Station, on the Bridge. An Engineering Technician is waiting for you. I will operate the Transporter for Dr. Phlox." The Ensign shrugs his shoulders, and says,

"Yes, Ma'am . . . I mean Sub-Commander T'Pol. I think you qualify to operate this equipment, don't you?" and he picks up the container, and T'Pol says,

"Yes, I am fully qualified to operate... (Thinks) 'any' equipment, here." The Technician carries off the container as T'Pol steps back, behind the Transporter's control panel, and continues saying, "The Scanners are being blocked by a Deflector field. It must be, how do you say... 'inclement weather'? I will disable the field, momentarily... There. The Targeting Scanners are locked on; to the grid coordinates of your shipment of... fish, doctor. I will Transport your- what type of fish are they? Are they medicinal, or are...?" . . .

-- The homeless man continues sleeping as the lights of the Emitters above him turn off. Suddenly, his body begins to tingle, starting to awaken him, and he hears a whirring, humming noise. He opens his eyes to see the surroundings blurring and fading away! . . .

-- Gradually; He begins to see the bright, white wall panels of the Transporter Pad, and the tingling sensation grows more intense as the loading dock fades away. The tingling subsides, and he hears a male voice, on the other side of the containers he was sleeping behind say,

". _. .(They) are 'soles' I grew very fond of; when I was on Earth, before._" He heard "souls", and he believes he has died! He slowly peeks over the cargo containers, and sees the reddish Alien Denobulan- Dr. Phlox - walking toward him, facing back, away. He quickly ducks down before he is seen, terrified! He thinks he has just seen "The Devil", and is dead and gone to Hell! Then, he hears the doctor pick up one of the containers opposite from him with a "grunt", and continue to say, "_They are not medicinal, but I just love to eat them! They are delicious! Have you ever tried them_?" and then move away, "straining". He hears a female voice say,

"_No, I have not. I cannot eat those foods_." He slowly peeks over the containers hiding him to see who owns the woman's voice, sees Dr. Phlox talking to T'Pol, sees her ears, and ducks back down, horrified! Now, he is certain he's died and gone to Hell! He hears Phlox say,

"_Well, you don't know what a delight they are, then! Can you arrange for someone to take the rest of these soles to the Mess Hall_?" He gasps at the thought of being sent to the "hall of the messed-up", and checks himself to see if he was accidentally crushed by falling cargo containers while he was sleeping! He hears T'Pol say,

"_Did you hear that_?. . ." and Phlox reply saying,

"_Hear what_?" His "gasp" was heard! A few tense seconds creep bye, as he holds his breath, then he hears T'Pol say,

". . . _Never mind, Doctor. I will arrange for someone to help unload these other containers for you. I will help you carry your soles away_," and he hears them walk off down the corridor. He lets his breath go with an anxiety-riddled exhalation! He thinks, "_What did I do to deserve __this_?!" and he starts to think of what in the "Hell" he is going to do now?! . . .

ACT ONE

-- Two Days Later; The poor, frightened homeless man has figured out he isn't dead when his stomach started growling, day before yesterday, but is convinced he's in a "living hell"! He's inside the belly of the beast that scares him the most... "Technology"! He accessed the ship's computer, via his antique palm-top's infra-red interface, (The only technology he trusts, because he "understands", and controls it! Not the other way-round!) and found a blueprint/deck plan map of the ship. Then he carefully made his way to the nearest cargo-hold, which was right near the Transporter Pad, and has been hiding, scared to death!

The door suddenly opens, and the lights snap on! Before the startled homeless man can scramble behind something, he is frozen like a deer caught in the headlights! The equally startled Crewman shouts saying,

"What the...?! Hey; you there!" The surprised homeless man doesn't say anything, but runs away to hide. The Crewman turns back into the corridor, activates the Intercom, and says, "Security?! This is Cargo-hold One! We have an unidentified intruder, here! I'm locking up the Hold to keep him here until you can get a security team down here, stat!" The Metallic doors close with a CLANG! The helpless, haplessly involuntary stow-away cowers in fear, from the thought of his discovery as well as the technology that engulfs him! He feels as if he can't breathe, and the air is being sucked out of the room! . . .

-- One Hour Later; Capt. Archer is sitting behind his desk, in his quarters, waiting for the unknown "guest" to be brought to him. The door "chimes", and he says,

"Come!" The door opens, and two security men, one on each arm of the kicking, struggling homeless man, drag him into the room! He sees the Captain, and stops struggling.

"_Thank God, it's not that Devil-looking thing, or his demon mistress_!" he thinks as he relaxes slightly, and the two security men loosen their grips on his arms. Capt. Archer amiably says,

"My name is Captain Jonathan Archer. Security tells me you're not being very cooperative. Won't you have a seat?" The man looks suspiciously at Archer, and then takes the chair, before the offer is rescinded. Archer continues, after sighing at the silence, saying, ". . . So, what's your name? . . . (Silence) What should we call you? . . . (Still silent) Do you speak English? . . . (More silence) Parlez vous Francez?. . . Habla Espanole? . . . O.K.! Security; arrange for his immediate transport, back to Earth! . . ." The man suddenly stiffens with fear, thinking Archer means "Transporter" him back, and blurts out terrorized saying,

"No! Not that! Please don't... 'Transporter' me back! That would be murder! I'll tell you anything you want to know! Just don't use your... technology on me!" Archer smiles (inside) thinking "_Now, we're getting somewhere_!" and says,

"Alright, alright... Why don't you start by telling me how you ended up on my ship?" The man calms, breathing heavily from his fear, and cautiously says,

"I was just minding my own business, sleeping on the docks, when I woke up on your ship! I didn't sneak aboard, if that's what you think? It was a mistake... that's all!" Capt. Archer nods his head as he was listening to the bearded, forty-ish looking year old frightened man in front of him. Then, he looks up towards the security men, and says,

"Alright, Ensigns; That will be all, for now. Please, go check out his story... while 'we' talk." The two men exit, and the man seems to relax a little more. Archer continues, ". . . We'll check out your story, Mister-rrr...?" The man responds by saying,

"Terrell. Hammond Terrell, but don't call me Hammond, okay?" Archer smiles, but with a hint of puzzlement, and says,

"O.K., Mr. Terrell. If your story checks out, you won't be in... any... trou-... Say, that's an unusual name, 'Terrell'... but it sounds, somehow, familiar? Huh-mmm... Terrell...?" The man sarcastically, but jokingly says,

"I've had it; for a very long time! I don't usually let people know my name. When you're homeless, anonymity is your best defense against persecution!" Archer is trying to remember why that name sounds so familiar, then his face lights up, and he says,

". . . Now I remember!... But that can't be?!" The man looks puzzled, and says,

"What can't be?" Archer shakes his head in disbelief, and says,

"Your name; I remember, from my history studies at Starfleet Academy; there used to be a 'Dr.' Hammond Terrell, but I think... he's long dead, now! That would make you to be... over a hundred years old!" The man cynically snickers, and sarcastically says,

"Yeah, I know. I look pretty good, for a dead, one-hundred, and fifty-nine year old man, eh, 'sonny'? What's your name again, Captain?" Archer is flabbergasted as he tries to remember all the details, and his history lessons. The ex- Dr. Terrell frowns puzzled and continues to say, ". . . What's the matter? Can't remember your name?" Archer shakes the confusion out of his head saying,

"I'm sorry... My name's Jonathan... Archer. You're the 'famous' Dr. Hammond Terrell?! The man that invented Cryogenic Suspension Technology and started the CryoGen Corp.; that made all those DY-class 'Sleeper' ship's and Cargo-Freighter's Cryogenic Suspension Chambers?!" Terrell just nods his head, smiles, and says,

"Yeah, that's me. The once 'rich', and 'famous' Dr. Hammond Terrell who..." Capt. Archer interrupts him with an exuberant expression on his face, and says,

"Didn't they used to call you...?" but Terrell interrupts him, and cautioning says,

"Don't say it! I never liked that nickname!" Archer can't restrain himself saying,

". . . 'Iced T'! How did you get that nickname, anyway?" The ex- Dr. Terrell says,

"That's 'Ice T', and I got the name when I put myself in Cryogenic Suspension, to prove it was safe, to a skeptical world! I put myself in orbit, in a 'brand new', back then, DY-100 class Cargo-Freighter-Passenger, 'Multi-purpose' vessel; for one year. That was... (thinks) in 2045! Before 'The Great Eugenics War', and W.W. III; that put a grinding halt to space exploration, and almost the whole human race! I later put myself, my wife, and son Thomas into Cryogenic Suspension, to ride out those tides of war! After we woke up, in 2065; 'they' high-tailed it out, on a DY-300 class vessel, bound for the Alpha-Centauri system . . . Earth had recently made this new 'Sub-space' radio first contact, and trade agreements with. They took all the money I had left, from outfitting 'the ships' with the Chambers. I took out several substantial business loans, to restart my CryoGen. Corp. that had failed when the world's governments, and global economy collapsed, during W.. Then; I put myself back into Cryogenic Suspension! When 'we', my family and I, awoke from our 'nap'; we hadn't aged a day, but the world had! Twenty years worth, to be exact! My industry had collapsed. The world governments, global economy, and space agencies; all collapsed! Then, to add insult to injury, my 'technology' became obsolete! This Dr. Zefram Cochrane invented this new 'Warp Technology', and that was the 'death knell' of Cryogenic Technology! The freighter owners retro-fitted all their ships with... 'Nacelles', and 'Warp-cores', and cut the traveling time down from many decades, to only a few years! They stopped using the Chambers, and that was the last nail in my coffin. I put myself into my personal Chamber, and went back to sleep, in the year 2072. When they bull-dozed my house, in 2148, I awoke to a completely new, and frightening world! The technology I knew was obsolete, and so was I! The new technology terrified me, to the point that they labeled me insane!... Technophobic! They finally released me, about three years ago, after I convinced them I wasn't afraid of it, but I lied! It still scares me to death, today! And now I'm trapped in the belly of the beast that ruined my life, and terrifies me!..." Capt. Archer was intently listening the whole time, nodding his head, etc. He was especially interested by the Warp Technology part, considering his father and mother "helped" with, and then took over the Warp-drive Development Project from Dr. Cochrane; when he suddenly left Earthand the Project behind. He does not mention his father, or mother, but makes the analogy saying,

"That makes you to be... some kind of... 'Rip Van Winkle'... and now; 'Jonah', trapped inside the belly of the whale, on your way to someplace you didn't want to go, and by way of a 'monstrous' thing that scares you, huh, Dr. Terrell?! Or should I call you 'Ice T'?" The irate ex-Dr. Terrell yells,

"No! I told you; I hate that nickname! . . . (He calms) And don't call me 'Doctor', either. I'm no more a 'scientist' than your dog, there," and he points to Archer's dog, Porthos. Archer chuckles, and in an amiably friendly way says,

"Oh, where's my manners? 'Mr.' Terrell? Meet Porthos." Terrell bends down to pet the tail-wagging Porthos as Archer watches. Then, Archer gets an overwhelming sense of guilt, and sorrowful pity for the pathetic man in front of him. He thinks hard a few moments; about how his Parents were partially responsible for this man's problems, then thoughtfully says, ". . . Well-l-l-l, there's got to be something you can do, to turn your life around?!" Terrell stops petting Porthos, and slowly turns his weather-beaten, "time" beaten face toward the imploring eyes of Capt. Archer. Subduing his mounted frustration, he calmly says,

"Haven't you been listening to me? No one uses 'Sleeper' technology, anymore. And even if they did, I'm so far in debt, from the business loans, and the back child support; I'll never be able to dig my way out of this hole! The interest alone, is more than I could make in a lifetime, even my 'extended one'! Last I checked; it was over $360 trillion and counting; and $380, 000.00 a year in interest, on my back Child Support, alone! No, there's nothing I can do," in a sad, defeated way. Archer thinks long and hard, stands up, and slowly walks around his desk. He paces back and forth, deep in thought, then throws his hands up in the air in frustration, and says,

". . . Well, I don't know what to do with you! I can't just let you 'camp-out' in the Cargo Holds, and we're too far out to turn around and take you back, now" then sighs and paces, again. Terrell also sighs. He's heard this kind of talk before and quickly says,

". . . I don't expect, nor do I 'want' you to let me stay in the belly of this beast! But I don't want to be a burden on you, or your crew. Just don't put me in that Transporter 'thing' again, PLEASE?!" Archer looks at the frightened shell of a man sitting in the chair, and smiles while saying,

"Hey, I don't blame you, there! Heh-heh; I took a little 'unexpected' ride in that, once, myself. We'll figure something out! In the meantime, why don't I take you on a little guided tour of my ship, here? Let you meet the crew. Are you hungry?" Terrell's eyes pop wide-open at the mention of food, and he says,

"You bet I am! You got any real food?! Not that Replicator crap!" Archer says,

"You bet! To tell you the truth; I wouldn't feed that... 'stuff' to my dog, Porthos!" smiling at the eagerly standing man. Archer doesn't know what it is about this guy, but he really finds him quite personable, and very intelligent, for an indigent, 150+ year old "homeless" man! He shakes his hand while continuing to say, ". . . Welcome to the twenty-second century, 'Mr.' Terrell." Terrell cautiously smiles back while shaking Archer's hand; not quite sure, but starting to trust this Capt. Archer, and says,

"Thanks, Captain Archer. You know? I used to know an Archer, many years ago." Archer wonders a moment, then thinks, ". . ._Nah_! _It __couldn't__ be_!" but says,

". . . Well, I'll take you to the Mess Hallfor some..." but Terrell interrupts, immediately saying,

"Wait a minute! That's where that reddish Devil guy took those souls! He won't be there, will he?" Archer thinks strangely of this, not knowing what he means, and says,

". . . Don't worry. There's no-o-o-o 'Devil' on my ship; Unless you count some of the stuff in Dr. Phlox's Sick Bay?" Terrell recognizes the name "Phlox", and animatedly says,

"Phlox?! That's the name that greenish... 'she-demon', called him!" as they walk toward the door to exit. Archer laughs, realizing Terrell's mistake, and chortles saying,

"Hah-hah-hah! Dr. Phlox is far from the Devil! He'll probably get a real kick out of that! As for the greenish 'she-demon'? Well-l-l-l; that's debatable! I'll introduce you to 'them', later. How long has it been since you had a good physical?..." and they exit, the door closes, and Porthos barks at it; as if to say, "Goodbye!" from inside the vacated room! . . .

-- Minutes Later, in the Mess Hall; Various Crewmen are mulling around, when the door opens, and Capt. Archer, the ex- Dr. "Ice T", and the two security men walk in. Everyone turns to look, but none of them have smiles on their faces. Capt. Archer doesn't notice, but Terrell does; having seen "that look" so many times before! Archer says,

"Lets take this empty table, over here," and they walk over to the far table. Archer sits, as does Terrell, and continues saying, ". . . Ensign? Have 'Chef' whip up something special, and bring it to my friend, here." The security man looks puzzled toward Archer, and says,

"Uh-m-m-m; Something 'special', Sir?" Mr. Terrell immediately says,

"Do you have something with lots of 'meat' in it?" Archer says,

"Sure. We have a wide variety of main-course selections to choose from. What would you like?" Terrell thinks for a moment, rubbing his bearded chin, then says,

"I'd love some beef-steak, but I'm afraid my teeth aren't very good. How about Meat-loaf?" Archer smiles, puzzled, not knowing what Terrell means, and says,

"Why not try some steak? Or, 'Chef' makes a mean Pot-roast?!" Terrell says,

"Can you put it in a blender? That's the only way I could eat it!..." He whispers, "My teeth... there's not much left of them." Archer quizzically looks at him, smiles, and asks,

"What do you mean?" Terrell simplistically explains, sarcastic at times, saying,

"When you're homeless, you find it 'difficult' to brush your teeth, or see a dentist regularly. When you're Techno-phobic; it's impossible! The thought of a sonic toothbrush in my mouth scares me, but I wouldn't have anywhere to plug it in to, anyway! A dentist's Sonic Drill, or those 'Tricorders' they use to 'scan' your mouth with? Forget it! I'm not going anywhere near them!" Archer understands his guest's dilemma, and says,

"I 'think' I see your point;... Tell 'Chef' to make it Meat-loaf;... O.K. with you?" Terrell nods his head, with a big, if not "toothy" grin on his face, and says,

"Yes, thank you so much, Captain!" The security man nods toward Archer, who nods back frowning, as if to say, "_Well, you heard him; __go_!" and the security man walks away toward the kitchen. As he walks away, Archer notices all the crewmen, at the other tables, getting up to leave. He wonders out loud saying, ". . . What in the heck is going on?" Terrell answers him by saying,

"It's me, Captain. I've come to deal with it. You can't blame them?" Archer says,

"Like Hell I can't! I'm the Captain... it's probably me. They're not used to seeing me in here. You there; Crewman?! I don't want to see anyone wasting food! Sit down, and finish your meal; you still have a lot left on your plate!" The Crewman walks up to the table, looks condescendingly at Terrell, and turns toward Archer to say,

"Begging the Captain's pardon, sir?... But I guess I'm just not that hungry, today," and he turns to exit the Mess Hall. The security man returns past the departing Crewman, bringing Terrell's plate of steaming hot Meat-loaf, with sides of mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, and a glass of milk. Terrell greedily takes it, and begins to devour it immediately, not seeming to notice the Crewman's remarks. Archer can't believe his eyes, or ears, hisses in a scoffing manner, shakes his head in disbelief, and "miffed" says,

"I don't get it. He usually eats like a Klingon." Terrell continues eating, and says,

"I get it... all the time! I don't blame them. Look at me, will yuh? My beard; my clothes; my 'life-style'? Usually, people that aren't 'afraid' of me... are 'envious' of me," philosophically. Archer "tries to understand", but how could he?! He simply says,

". . . 'Envious'... of you? Why would anyone, in their right mind, be jealous of you?!" Terrell explains what he meant, almost chuckling, by sarcastically saying,

"Well, they're not envious of my beard, and hand-me-down, way out of fashion, dirty clothes!... No; it's not really... 'regulation Starfleet', is it? It's my 'life-style' they're envious of. My... 'freedom', so to speak. If they only knew. Lack of... 'something', anything to do... it isn't all that it's cracked-up to be?! If they only knew the daily struggle the homeless go through, just to get the basic necessities... day to day, to get by; like food, shelter, and the occasional bath! They wouldn't be so jealous of my, or the others perceived... 'freedom'! - You know? - This food is really good! - May I please have some more, Sir?" Archer's eyes widen, and he chuckles, smiling as he says,

"Wow! I've never seen anyone put it away like that, before!" He nods to the frowning security man as if to say, "_Go get him some more_," and as he leaves, continues saying, ". . . You said something about 'others'; like you? Are there others?" Terrell says,

"Well-l-l-l; not 'like me', exactly. There are others, but not like me! They all have different reasons for becoming 'Street People', as we call it? Financial problems, deaths of a parent, or both! Alcohol, drugs, tobacco... I won't lie to you. A lot of us are 'Street People' by choice! Granted, not very good choices, but still?!... They drop out of 'regular' society, and nothing can help them; especially themselves! See now?! . . ." Archer intently listens to a way of life he had no idea existed! He suddenly "snaps back to reality"; a delayed reaction to the question, and says,

". . . Yeah! Now I do?! I had no idea! It's amazing; in this day and age of enlightenment, Global Health and Social programs, that something like this could be happening right under our noses, and we don't see it?!" The security man returns with another plate. Terrell takes it, and eats (less greedily) as Archer continues saying, ". . . Here's the food... whoa, there?! Save some room for dessert." Terrell quickly looks up saying,

"There's dessert?" Archer says,

"Sure. What would you like?" Terrell thinks for a moment, then says,

". . . Uh-m-m-m-m;... Chocolate?!" Archer chuckles as he says,

"Sh-Sure! Ch-chocolate wh-what?!" Terrell responds immediately saying,

"Anything... but not ice cream, okay?! - (whispers) Remember? My teeth?" Archer says,

"Sure; and after that, I'll take you on that tour of the ship I promised you." Terrell shakes his head reluctantly, and says,

"To tell you the truth, I'd rather not. (whispers again) Remember? My 'Technophobia'?" Archer nods his remembering, but optimistically says,

"I thought you might be able to overcome that? If the tour centered on the 'people', instead of the technology; you know? The Ship and Technology are only as good as the people that run it! What do you say? I know the Crew would be very happy to meet you!" Terrell ponders a moment, then reluctantly says,

"I don't think your Crew would want to meet me; especially in my present... 'condition'?!" Archer doesn't understand his reluctance, or self-reproach, and says,

"You're being too hard on yourself. They won't care about you being a 'Street-Person'. They'll probably find you as fascinating as I have!" Terrell "balks" saying,

"I think you're over-estimating your Crew's... 'understanding'-ness? No, I'd much rather 'clean-up' a little, and take a 'cat nap' first, before I do anything else; if that's alright with you, Captain?" Archer is somewhat embarrassed by his lack of sensitivity, and says,

". . . Of course?! Please; forgive me for not thinking of that? You can stay in my quarters... until we can figure out what to do 'about'... you. (Thinks) I know! You can meet my Senior Staff, tonight; at dinner? We'll all eat together, in my 'Captain's Mess', which doubles as a Senior Staff Conference room. How does that sound?!" Terrell isn't immediately agreeable to the idea, but slowly warms to it, nods, and says,

"Sure. I guess that will be alright; after I get cleaned-up first, right?! - Captain Archer? I don't know how I can thank you, enough!" At that moment, the security man comes back with the chocolate cake dessert plate, and Archer says,

"Don't thank me, yet... Oh, here's your dessert! It looks like... a piece of cake? - Ensign, have his things brought to my quarters, right away; understood?" . . .

-- Two Hours Later; Terrell is looking at the reflection of the man he used to be! The clean shaven face the old fashioned "razor" had scraped the years of neglect from; the bathed body, and groomed hair. He almost doesn't recognize... himself, in the mirror?! He strokes his face with his hand, and silently thinks, ". . . _Hey, I look pretty good, for such an old Street Person_?!" and he turns, to walk into the larger portion of the Captain's quarters where his back-pack is, holding his meager possessions. He bends over, to return his "Razor", and brushes (hair, and tooth) to their place, inside. His face suddenly grows taught and concerned, and he rummages through his backpack in a panic! He "stills", smiles, and breathes a sigh of relief! He pulls out his "ancient" palm-top computer - the precurser to the modern PADD, and walks toward the Captain's table, where the Com-link and computer are located. He looks for, then finds the "Universal Nickel-Cadmium-Dilithium Battery Charger", and places his palm-top on it. It "beeps", signifying it is charging; and then relieved, talking to himself, he says,

"Thank you, computer... (Thinks) Captain Archer, of Enterprise." ­out loud. The Captain's computer "hears" on the desk, "beeps" immediately, and starts to read off the particulars of Captain Archer, in a mechanical, monotone "female" voice saying,

". . . Captain Jonathan Archer; Presently, Commanding Officer... Warp 5 Experimental-Class NX-01 Enterprise... Born, January Ninth, 2108..." He is about to turn off the computer with a voice command, when he hears it continue saying, ". . . Son of Dr. Henry Archer, and Dr. Gabrielle Williams-Archer; co-developers, and assistants to Dr. Zefram Cochrane; inventor/discoverer of Warp-drive technology..." Terrell gets a shocked expression, and shouts out saying,

"What?! . . ." The computer stops, "beeps", and says,

". . . Command not recognized," and remains silent. He thinks a moment, then says,

"Computer; Dr. Henry Archer?" The computer "beeps" again, then (droning) says,

". . . Dr. Henry Archer; Born April 10th, 2079; Son of Prof. John Henry Archer of old-Earth's U.S.C. college, from 2034 to... (BEEP) Pre-World War Three records inconclusive, and/or unavailable... Dr. Henry Archer, Co-developer, with Dr. Zefram Cochrane, on the Warp-drive Development Project for Starfleet Command, in San Francisco, California from 2102, until Dr. Cochrane left the project, in 2114. Dr. Archer took over the project, and headed the research until his death, in a Test-engine Warp-core implosion accident in his laboratory, in 2126... (BEEP) He met his future wife, Dr. Gabrielle Williams, during his final year of study at The University of Southern California; and married shortly before joining the Warp-drive Development Project with his wife, then Dr. Gabrielle Williams-Archer, in 2102. She was killed in a cascading Warp-core breach while making a Test-flight of the Warp-drive craft, in an attempt to break the 'Warp 1.0 Barrier' in 2113. Shortly after, Dr. Cochrane left the Warp-drive Project, back to his home on Alpha-Centauri VI, for reasons... (BEEP) unknown. In 2120, he left Alpha-Centauri VI in his DY-500 'Sleeper' ship for... (BEEP) destination unknown; Dr. Henry Archer took over as Head of the Project in 2114, and continued his work. Dr. Archer is credited with most of the advancements in Power-flow Management Systems, and Warp-Ship Design, achieving increased speeds, from Warp 0.7 in 2102, to Warp 0.9 at his death, in 2126. His contributions to the Warp-drive Project, and science in general, including Spacecraft Design and Engineering, made possible the Warp 5 speeds of today; . . ." Just then; Archer enters the room, and peers angrily and puzzled at Terrell; whom looks betrayed at him, and the computer finishes saying, ". . . No further data available for Dr. Henry Archer... (BEEP)" Archer looks angrily at Terrell, and Terrell shouts back at him saying,

"You S.O.B.! You lied to me?! You're part of the... conspiracy!" Archer is angry, and confused about why Terrell was listening to data about his father, and his unauthorized and "unexpected" use of his computer, and... technology! . . .

ACT TWO

-- Continuous; Terrell and Archer stand scowling at each other; both feeling, and looking betrayed toward one another! Archer grows puzzled by Terrell's anger, and says,

". . . What the...?! Why are you mad at me?! You're the one who's using my computer to find out... 'stuff' about my father!" Terrell appears "insane", but he's actually scared as he says,

". . . Your father?! . . . Your father is the one who's responsible for the... ruination of my life! My science!! My industry!!! My family!!!!... Everything!" Archer feels somewhat guilty about this, and yells defensively saying,

"You say that like it's my fault, personally; for all the bad things that happened long before I was born!!!" Terrell suddenly calms. Archer's "point" was well taken, and made! He seems to be searching his mind for the right thing... something to say; but can't, and finally in a resigned tone says,

"I'm sorry, Captain Archer. Of course, you're right. Please, forgive me? It wasn't your fault... or your father's either. Not even your Grandfather's; who I tried to hire, away from U.S.C., to head up the Research and Development Dept. of my CryoGen. Corp. so long ago... nor Dr. Cochrane's, either. It's just the way things worked out." Archer calms as he says,

". . . O.K. (Calms) Okay... (Thinks) But why did you call me a liar; and what's this about a conspiracy?" Terrell is apologetic, yet suspicious as he circumspectly says,

"I'm sorry; But I 'believed' you 'may' have been hiding your 'connection', through your father, and Dr. Cochrane; to the technology that ruined my life... that's all. As far as 'the conspiracy'; that was just my paranoid feelings I've developed, through the years; from my fear of technology." Archer really looks puzzled, now! He doesn't quite know what to say, so he thinks a bit, inbetween stmbling words, and hesitantly says,

". . . O.K. - Speaking of Technophobia;... I thought you were afraid of technology? What about my computer, then; eh?" Terrell sincerely and truthfully says,

"Oh; that? That was an accident. I was just trying to recharge the batteries on my palm-top computer, that's all? Your computer came on by itself!... Voice activated, right?" Archer chuckles at the thought of something similar that happened to him and says,

"Hah-hah-hah. Yeah; you've gotta watch what you say around here, heh, heh... Hey; you have a palm-top?!" Terrell is resignedly embarrassed as he, almost apologetically, says,

"Yeah, I got one; an old one?! It only has a twenty-seven gig Pentium XIV / Celeron III processor, and two 24 gig DIMM chips, for 48 gigs of RAM?!" Archer looks surprised, saying,

". . . Where'd you find a... 'fossil', like that?!" Terrell shrugs, and plainly says,

"What do you mean, 'fossil'?! I bought it brand new, 'state of the art', in 2045?! - I suppose that is a fossil to you;... (Sighs) just like I am?!" Archer isn't clear, and says,

"Well-l-l-l; even though it is old, it's still technology, isn't it?!" Terrell understands now, and explains saying,

"Oh, I see what you're getting at;... I'm not afraid of all technology?! Just the technology I don't understand, see?" Archer shakes his head, and rubs the back of his neck saying,

"No;... Not 'really'?" Terrell carefully, with lots of "personal insight", plainly says,

"Are you afraid of the dark?... (Archer nods yes) It's kind of like that?! It's not really the darkness you're afraid of; itself! It's the 'unknown'. The things the darkness 'could' be hiding; even though you know there's nothing 'really' there! It's the fear of the 'unknown' that scares you, see?" Archer nods, chuckles, and says,

"Since you put it like that; yeah, I see now!... (Thinks) Have you ever thought about teaching?" Terrell, in a scoffing manner, chuckles at that, and sarcastically says,

"Teach what; 'Ancient Studies'?! I'm 'road kill' on the highway of life. I could be a 'road scholar'?!... Maybe I could teach; at the 'school of hard knocks', eh?! I'd have 'tenure', there?" Archer is really trying to help this guy out, but it seems an impossible task! He changes the subject back to something he does have control over, and cheerfully says,

"Well-l-l-l;... are you looking forward to meeting my Senior Staff crew members, at dinner tonight?" Terrell is reluctant, and hesitantly says,

"I... don't know... about that? Can we not... and say we did?!" Archer says,

". . . Why not? They're really good people, and they're all looking forward to it!" Terrell is momentarily silent. He is flattered as he thinks it over, then relenting says,

"You already told them about me?" Archer nods. Terrell continues, ". . . I guess I can't refuse, can I?" Archer shakes his head. Terrell continues, ". . . Well, okay; (Thinks) but on one condition?!" Archer questioningly says,

"What's that?" Terrell quickly ponders his response, and says,

". . . On the condition... that I ask most of the questions?!... And, I can refuse to answer any questions, 'no questions asked', okay?!" Archer says,

"Okay, then; It's settled, Dr. Terrell. I'll just..." but Terrell interrupts, saying,

". . . -Also... What did I tell you about that 'Doctor' crap?! Everyone just call me... Terrell, or Mr. Terrell, okay?" Archer apologetically says,

"I'm sorry; 'Mr.' Terrell? (Terrell nods) Done! I'll just inform the others; about the ground rules, and then..." but Terrell interrupts, again, saying,

". . . -One more thing! I insist on 'soft' food, okay? (Whispers privately) My teeth?" Archer nods, chuckles, and says,

"Oh-ho-ho... I haven't forgotten. It's all arranged! Chef is cooking up some delicious..." . . .

-- Later, In The Captain's Mess; Sub-Commander T'Pol, Dr. Phlox, Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, and Ensigns Travis Mayweather and Hoshi Sato are eagerly (except T'Pol, of course) sitting around the Mess table, waiting. The door opens, and Archer (alone) walks in, up to the table, and says,

". . . Alright, everyone; are we clear on the ground rules, here?" Everyone (Except T'Pol, who thinks, "The 'ground' is 'clear', as are the 'rules'," but she simply nods.) anxiously nod their heads, and say things (in unison) like,

". . . Oh; Yes, sir!", "Quite clear, Captain!", and "You betcha, John!" (The last one was Trip, of course.), and Archer looks confused at them, saying,

". . . Hey, hey, hey?! One more rule?! 'Not all at once', O.K.? One at a time!" and they all nod their understanding. Archer turns back toward the door, opens it, and into the hallway says, ". . . Alright, Mr. Terrell; You can come in, now?!" Terrell shyly peeks around the edge of the doorway, sees T'Pol and Phlox, and starts to duck back out into the hallway, but Archer reacts fast, grabs his arm, and "gently" pulls him into the room, toward the table saying, ". . . Whoa, there! Come on in. It's safe?! . . . That's it; right over here. You have the 'guest of honor's seat', at the head of the table? Everyone; this is 'Mr. Terrell'! Mr. Terrell; this is my Senior Staff, and a better crew you'd be hard pressed to find. I'll introduce them to you. That's it, sit right here . . . I think you've already... 'met', in a way, Dr. Phlox, and Sub-Commander T'Pol?" Phlox excitedly stands, smiling and extending his hand to shake, quickly! Terrell startles, and almost jumps out of his skin, and his chair; but Archer holds him down firmly, and says, "Ho-ho-hold on, there! I told you, he's not the Devil?!... He's a... Denobulan, and 'sworn to protect life'; as a doctor! And a nicer, more amiable Alien you'll never meet?" Terrell hesitantly takes Phlox's extended hand, and shakes it as Dr. Phlox says,

"As a doctor; I'm very interested to know how you overcame the 'Muscular Atrophy', and 'Dysphoria' problems, in your early research, connected with long term Cryogenic Suspension?" Terrell says,

"The Cryo-Suits, fitted with Electro-stimulators, took care of the Atrophy problems; (Thinks) but we never licked the disorientated, short-term memory loss, and Dysphoria problems connected with 'Cryo-sleep', I'm afraid?" Archer interrupts their doctor to doctor chat by saying,

". . . And this is Sub-Commander T'Pol. She's not his 'demon mistress'; she's just a Vulcan?!" Terrell releases Phlox's hand as Phlox sits back down, and T'Pol stands. Terrell looks suspiciously at her, and cautiously extends his hand to shake. T'Pol looks contemptuously at him, and his hand hanging in the air, but refuses (of course) to "shake it"! Terrell retracts his hand, embarrassed, as Archer chuckles, and says, ". . . Don't worry about her?! Vulcans don't 'shake hands'; and they don't have 'feelings' to hurt?! They also don't eat meat, use 'contractions'... much, and never have any 'fun', either?!" Everyone, except T'Pol, and Terrell (at first) laugh at that; and T'Pol raises an eyebrow at him, as Archer continues saying, "... Now this guy over here, is my Chief Engineer, and personal friend, since after The Academy; Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker?! He's from the 'South', if you can't tell by the accent?!" Trip is anxiously standing already, thrusts his hand hardily out, and as Terrell takes it, he 'shakes' exuberantly, and says,

"Call me Trip?! Everyone does; except T'Pol! It's a real pleasure ta' make your acquaintance, D- . . . 'Mr.' Terrell! I'm the Chief Engineer onboard, and I can't wait ta' ask yawl about your work, n' all?!" Terrell shyly says,

"I'm . . . 'afraid'; I don't remember much about 'my work'? It was so-ooo long ago?!" Trip immediately (after he stops shaking Terrell's hand to death!) says,

"Is it true, that you put yer-self in Stasis, ta' prove it was safe, and orbited Earth for a whole year, in an O-O-O-old DY-100?!" Terrell looks puzzled, and says,

"Stasis?" Trip snickers slightly, disbelieving (a little) his naiveté, and says,

"Yeah; . . . that's what we call Cryogenic Suspension, now-a-days?!" Terrell says,

"Oh? . . . Yeah; I did, but I don't want to talk about that, 'right now'!" Archer says,

"Yeah, Trip; Cool your jets?! There's plenty of time, and I haven't introduced him to everyone, yet? Let's get through this, and then you can ask all the questions you want to, O.K.?" Terrell interrupts, momentarily, to say,

"But I don't have to answer them, if I don't want to, heh-heh," in a joking manner. Everyone laughs (nervously) and Archer says,

"Yes-s-s-s; you're right, D- . . . 'Mr.' Terrell?! . . . And this is my Tactical Officer, Lt. Malcolm Reed? By the way; we're pretty 'lax' around here, except for T'Pol, and Malcolm, here? He was brought up by a long line of British Navel, and strict 'traditional' family?" Malcolm blushes, and gushes as he says,

"I'm so-o-o-o bloody-pleased to meet you, sir?!" Terrell shakes his eager hand saying,

"Likewise, I'm sure." Reed won't let go, smiling; and Archer finally says,

"That's enough, Malcolm . . . Now; this is my Communications Officer, and a Linguistics genius; Ensign Hoshi Sato?!" Hoshi jumps up and down like an excited little schoolgirl that has to "pee"; runs toward Terrell, and thrusts out her hand saying,

"I'm honored to meet you, sir?!" Terrell respectfully bows, and says,

"Domo ari gato; Sato-San?" Hoshi looks surprised, and says,

"Oh! I didn't know you spoke Japanese? But, I'm not Japanese," in Japanese! Terrell looks embarrassed, "hisses", and apologizes; then (in Japanese) says,

"Yeah; It's a talent I learned while dealing with Japanese industrialists, in 2032?" Archer (and the others, too) looks confused; not understanding Japanese, and annoyed says,

"Wow! . . . We'll talk more about that, later; in English, not 'Chinese'?! . . . (Hoshi and Terrell exchange "sly", smiling, and "knowing" glances!) But first; The last of my Senior Staff? This is Ensign Travis Mayweather, my Helmsman. He's a 'Space Boomer'." Terrell is the one that looks puzzled now, and says,

". . . 'Space Boomer'?!" Archer chuckles, and says,

"Yeah-ha-ha! That means he was born and raised in space, on his parent's Freighter vessel? He's spent more time in . . ." but Travis interrupts him saying,

". . . Space than anyone, here?! Pleasure to meet you, sir!" Terrell says,

"So; You've been in one of my Cryogenic units?!" Travis snickers, and says,

"Oh-ho, yeah-ha-ha! I used to use one, all the time; playing hide 'n seek with my little sister on my parents Freighter?!" Terrell scowls, and says,

"That's not what I meant by . . ." but; he is interrupted by the Stewards bringing the food in on large, metallic rolling carts. Archer says,

". . . Ah-h-h-h?! The dinner has arrived. That soup smells delicious. Sit down, everyone, and let's eat? We'll continue the discussions during the meal," and they all sit to eat . . .

-- For the sake of "brevity"; I'll leave the dinner's fascinating Q&A conversation to the reader's fertile imagination! Suffice to say, according to their "particular interests", they all learned a lot about "homelessness", "technophobia", and the illustrious past life of the very old, experienced ex-"Dr." Terrell! Capt. Archer took the opportunity to "referee", and silently listen, to learn more about Mr. Terrell, and his own Crew! . . . And, he "learned" a lot about both?! . . .

-- Several Days Later; Archer is sitting at his desk, in his "Ready-room", alone. He just finished talking with his Uncle, Admiral "Williams"; who is the Commandant of Starfleet Academy since it opened, in late 2112. He had reported the accidental stow-away, and his "special circumstances", right after "the dinner"; where someone mentioned that Mr. Terrell should be a Historian, having "lived" both before, and after The Great Eugenics War, and World War III; A thought that Archer took to heart!. . .

The door "chimes", and Archer smiles and says,

"Come!" The door opens, and Terrell enters, walks toward the desk saying,

". . . You wanted to see me, Captain?" Archer quickly replies saying,

"I told you?! . . . Call me John? Yes; I just now talked to one of the Admirals of Starfleet, and they have made the decision; regarding what to do with you?! . . ." Terrell looks worried, and Archer continues in a stone-faced manner, saying, ". . . We were headed near the Alpha-Centauri system, so we were going to drop you off there; . . . but we can't?! The Alpha-Centauri government won't allow 'Military' or Starfleet vessels near there; Thanks to Dr. Zefram Cochrane?! . . . But; Records show that there is a very slow moving, Sub-Warp speed; DY-300 class 'Sleeper' ship, en route from Earth . . . in the old shipping-lanes near here; due to arrive at Alpha-Centauri VI, next year? . . . According to agreements made, through the years since Earth first started sending ships there, and the 'free trade' and 'neutrality' stances they take; we can't interfere with those ancient vessels, but . . . we 'could' put someone on it?! . . . They have a 'non-extradition' policy that includes criminals, and 'refugees' of all kinds?! Someone that 'may' be fleeing religious, or 'economic' persecution would have immunity, and sanctuary, there; See?. . ." Terrell looks puzzled, but Archer continues saying, ". . . So; We're going to put you on that special 'privately owned' passenger ship; Into a spare Cryogenic Suspension Chamber, and send you on your merry way?! I have some . . . 'influence' with Starfleet, so I've made arrangements for 'someone', with a lot of 'historical experience', but no particular 'technological' skills needed, to take over as Curator of the 'Dr. Zefram Cochrane Home' Memorial Museum, and Exhibition; on Alpha-Centauri VI, next year?! You're going to need some kind of job, when you get there?! . . . (He leans forward for emphasis!) There is 'something' I should tell you about that particular ship?! . . ." Terrell was listening intently to Archer as he was speaking, and his face slowly waxed to elation; until he hears the last sentence, and fear flashes over his visage as his mouth hangs agape! . . .

-- Twenty Months Later; "Dr." Terrell, the title bestowed "honorably", for his expertise in Historical Sciences is dusting off a Cryogenic Suspension Chamber inside the full-sized "replica" of the DY-500 class "Sleeper" ship, named "Spirit Of 2120". It rests atop the launch-pad, on the grounds of the Museum/Memorial Home he is the Curator of, works, and lives in; for a modest salary, room, and board. It is nearly closing time, and he fondly daydreams, remembering the Captain and Crew who rescued him from a horrible life he had become all too accustomed to! "It all seems like a bad dream, now; . . . and maybe it was?!" he thinks; still suffering from "Cryogenic-Sleep Dysphoria". When he isn't taking care of the Exhibit, giving tours and answering guest's questions, or dusting during his lazy days; he writes historical papers, books, and novels. The last of the guests touring today, a family on vacation from Earth, walks up, and the father says,

"Excuse us, Dr. Terrell; But isn't this Douglas-Yeager 500 class ship exactly like the one Dr. Zefram Cochrane left Alpha-Centauri VI in; on his mysterious final voyage into unknown space?!" Dr. Terrell slowly turns to face them, and says,

"No; not 'exactly'? This is a 'mock up' model of the ship he traveled back and forth, from here to Earth in; until he left the Warp-Drive Project, in 2114. He left here, in 2120, on that same ship, but he 'stripped' the Warp engines out of it?" The mother says,

"Why did he do that?!" Terrell answers her, saying,

"Because he was 'afraid' of it, (Thinks) or maybe; . . . He was 'angry' with it?! After his assistant, Dr. Gabrielle Williams-Archer died in a test flight; he left the 'Project', and didn't trust that the 'accident' wouldn't happen to him, on his 'mysterious final voyage', see?!" and he turns back, to dust off the Cryogenic unit, again. The family wonders amongst themselves a few minutes, then they turn back, and the father asks, saying,

"Excuse us again, Dr. Terrell; But what time do you open tomorrow? The wife, and kids want to come back here; seeing as this is the only 'family oriented attraction' on 'Sin VI'; while I visit some of the more . . . 'adult' places, here?!" The man's son snickers, "elbow nudges" his sister, and says,

"Yeah, he wants to go do . . . 'bad things', hah-hah-hah!" slyly looking at; while "teasing" his father. His mother scolds him, defending the integrity of her spouse, saying,

"There's a lot more to do here on 'Sin VI' than visit the many brothels?! . . . Isn't that right; dear?!" looking for reassurance from him. He sincerely says,

"That's right, honey! I'm going to one of the casinos, to do a little gambling; even though I do find 'this museum' and Dr. Terrell's informative tours fascinating?!" Terrell slowly turns to face the family, and peacefully answers the man's question saying,

". . . Oh-h-h-h; the morning. No particular time. If the doors aren't open and someone there to accept the modest entry fee, and give the tour; just knock on the door? I live here, so I'll let you in, whenever you get here, O.K.?" They all nod, and the daughter teases her brother saying,

"See, I told you daddy wouldn't go to a 'whore house'?. . ." The mother grabs her daughter's arm, and drags her out of the DY-500's hatch, and down the ramp saying,

". . . Where did you learn such bad language?!" ­as the rest of the family follows them out, and the daughter desperately explains; "tattling" on her older brother, she "pleads" saying,

"That's what he said?! I was just repeating what he said; That's all?! . . ." Terrell snickers, and fondly remembers his son, Thomas. He thinks, "_I 'hope' he never 'visits' one of those places_?! _I'd kill him, if he did_!" He snickers, again, knowing he would never be able to hurt his son; especially now?! He slowly (how he does everything now, at "his age") starts to turn off the lights, powered by the Impulse (Nuclear / Cold-Fission) Engine that all DY- class vessels were only fitted with, with the exception of the original "Spirit of 2120"! That was retro-fitted with a Warp-drive engine by Dr. Cochrane; until he stripped it out! He thinks, "_The 'Ness cells' on this DY-500 are 'mock-ups'_, _and 'decorative, only_!_ The Warp core was never installed in this one; Thank God_?!" fearfully! The lights are lower as he walks to the exit-hatch and hears a sweet woman's voice drifting inside saying,

". . . _Sweetheart_?!_ It's closing time_! _It's your turn to help our son Thomas_; . . . _with his home-work_?!" He smiles a wide (if not "toothy") grin, turns off the last interior lights, steps into the brilliant Binary-suns light that shines through the narrow hatch, and loudly says,

"Coming, 'Honey'!" Then, he turns back, and through the opened hatchway he says, ". . . Thank you, Captain Archer of Enterprise," quietly to himself. He closes the door with a "CLANG", and the interior goes dark; which closes the door on this episode! . . .

THE END


End file.
